Match report: New Milton Town FC comeback in 4-2 win over AFC Aldermaston sees side move one step closer to Wessex League Division One title
New Milton Town moved a step closer to winning the league title and gaining promotion after coming from behind to win, while second-placed Frimley Green dropped points on Saturday.
New Milton put the ghosts of last weekend at Romsey well and truly behind them as Elliott Pearce-Eavis sparked a revival of mammoth proportions to see the Brickmakers overturn a 2-0 deficit on home turf to claim three points against AFC Aldermaston, writes Jamie Tarrant.
The league leaders moved five points clear with a game in hand after second-placed Frimley Green were held to a 2-2 with mid-table Amesbury Town.
The Brickmakers’ hopes were beginning to look bleak after Alan Lucas doubled his and the away team’s lead, leaving Matt Maybury’s men staring a second successive defeat in the face after a run of 22 league games unbeaten.
“We weren’t great in the first half, but you can’t question the togetherness and character of this team”, said manager Matt Maybury. “To go 2-0 down five minutes into the second half and bounce back the way they did is a credit to them.
“They dug in when it wasn’t going our way, and eventually, their quality shone through. We were probably good value for another couple of goals in the end, but you have to give credit to Aldermaston; I thought they started the game really well.
“All we can do is take it game by game, and that’s another one ticked off.”
Pearce-Eavis, who earned the player-of-the-match award, said: “After the disappointment of last week’s result, we had to get back to winning ways.
“At half-time, it looked like we may struggle, but we came out for the second half and found an extra couple of gears, which was enough for us to grab four goals.
“It felt like a big result for us; we move on to the next one.”
The only eventful action of the first half saw Aldermaston take the lead, with Lucas sidefooting the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
When the game restarted, the second goal quickly followed. A cruel bobble of the ball eluded goalkeeper Ollie Bull and fell to the feet of Lucas, who helped the ball into the net with the goal at his mercy. The goal left the M.A. Hart Stadium silenced.
It had felt up to that point that it was not to be New Milton’s day, but the second goal sparked the Brickmakers into action. Within seconds of the restart, Barney Stone showed great tenacity to divert the ball back across goal, which fell to the feet of Pearce-Eavis, who made no mistake in finding the corner.
The goal only increased the hosts’ determination even more. After a flurry of efforts at goal, the referee pointed to the spot for a handball after earlier denying them what appeared to be a more clear penalty appeal in the first half. Dan Bartlett made no mistake in firing home from the spot despite Aldermaston keeper Nathanial Knight’s attempts to put him off.
Aldermaston had Simeon Weekes sent off after the penalty was awarded, and New Milton eventually made the one-man advantage count.
A corner kick in the 80th minute was cleared only as far as Billy Maybury – back from suspension after his red card on the Isle of Wight – who took a touch before half-volleying the ball from just over 25 yards out into the bottom corner of the net, sparking chaos in the stands.
The comeback was complete, but there was still time for another goal. Luca Lane had come on early in the second half, and his energy and forward running had made a real difference. He deserved to get on the scoresheet himself as he gambled on the Aldermaston shot-stopper, not handling an effort at goal as he controlled the rebound before lashing the ball home.
It was the seventh occasion this season that Maybury’s men had come from behind to claim points, and it was the second time they had done so from being 2-0 behind.
New Milton Town, who top the table with a five-point buffer and a game in hand, will travel to Gosport next weekend to take on sixth-placed Fleetlands.
New Milton Town: O. Bull, E. Pearce-Eavis, C. Smith, B. Maybury, J. Kinge-Phillips, J. Broad, T. Colmer, B. Stone, D. Bartlett, N. McCarthy-Gardiner, B. Snelling. Subs: L. Lane, H. Thornton, O. Mayo, J. Brookes.
